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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6F-01604

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-11631

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) ScotRail and (b) Network Rail regarding Ayr Station and the Station Hotel.

Ayr Station Hotel is owned by an absentee landlord who has remained unresponsive to any approach regarding the future of the Station Hotel building. Network Rail’s sole responsibility, due to the proximity of the railway to the hotel building and the rail infrastructure, is to ensure the safety of the rail infrastructure.

Transport Scotland continues to engage with ScotRail, Network Rail and South Ayrshire Council through the Ayr Station Strategic Governance Group, to review the long-term options for the Station Hotel building. The Group last met on 14 November 2022.

Transport Scotland has provided significant investment to this project including fully funding the erection of the scaffolding and encapsulation, and the ongoing maintenance costs up to March 2020. Transport Scotland continued to fund 50% of the ongoing maintenance costs from April 2020 until May 2022 and has also fully funded the feasibility study and subsequent options review.

The Ayr Station Strategic Governance Group continues to lead the preparation and publication of the Ayr Station Hotel Option Review under the leadership of South Ayrshire Council. I met with the Leader of and Chief Executive South Ayrshire Council in May 2022.

I had expected this report would have been published by the new administration before now. I am advised that it is now expected to be published before the end of the year. While I of course recognise the good progress made; it has been 6 months since my last meeting with South Ayrshire Council and I would urge the Strategic Governance group to work together bring this process to the earliest possible conclusion.

Question reference: S6W-12431

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many working groups have been established by NHS Scotland in each of the last five financial years, broken down by the (a) total costs incurred in running these bodies, including expenses and (b) number that have (i) formally completed their work and ceased to exist and (ii) not met in the last six months but still exist.

Question reference: S6W-12457

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote uptake of the winter (a) COVID-19 booster and (b) flu vaccination in areas of low uptake.

Question reference: S6W-12441

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date on National Treatment Centres, broken down by financial year since their creation.

Question reference: S6W-12383

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine will be available for patients with an identified clinical need in Dumfries and Galloway.

Novavax Nuvaxovid is currently available in all Health Boards as an alternative to the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and is only to be used in exceptional circumstances. This means that when mRNA vaccines are not considered clinically suitable, the Novavax vaccine may be used for booster vaccination of adults over 18 years. Not clinically suitable means that you can only have Novavax if you have a specific history of allergies to the mRNA vaccines or its ingredients, or your condition makes it unsuitable.

Question reference: S6W-12456

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of people who are housebound are still to receive their winter (i) COVID-19 booster and (ii) flu vaccination, broken down by integration joint board area.

While statistics on vaccination rates among those who are housebound are not published, we continue to see very high uptake across all eligible cohorts in the winter vaccination programme.

Housebound patients are identified through their local GP and have been vaccinated in their homes, with some health boards utilising the Scottish Ambulance Service to support this. For those who weren’t identified via their GP, their appointment letter contained information on how to request a home visit.

Question reference: S6W-12454

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it considers just over a third of health and social care staff have taken up their COVID-19 winter booster and flu vaccinations to date, and what its position is on whether uptake should be higher.

Our aspiration is for uptake to be as high as possible across all groups, this includes health and social care workers.

Vaccination uptake for Frontline Health & Social Care workers is currently at 40% for Covid-19 vaccines. The uptake for Flu vaccines for all healthcare workers is currently at 49%.

We have been working closely with Health Boards to increase uptake in this group. Specific interventions include drop in clinics for workers, outreach vaccination teams visiting workplaces, tailored local and national communications to encourage uptake. We are also conducting surveys to gather insight on why some people are choosing not to get vaccinated this winter.

Question reference: S6W-12679

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Includem’s open letter titled "Simply Scran", how it will work with local authorities to eradicate school meal debt.

We recognise that rises in the cost of living are putting a huge strain on some families and they are facing unforeseen challenges. We are working with our partners in local authorities to fully understand the issue of school meal debt.

Councils have the power to make discretionary offers of free school meals to families, where they are experiencing financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances, who do not meet the regular eligibility criteria. We would urge local authorities to continue to do all they can to resolve any payment issues without withdrawing meals from pupils.

Question reference: S6W-12580

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the 90% non-domestic rates relief for district heating networks powered by renewables until 2035.